


Oathkeeper

by filhadoboto



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Braime - Freeform, Canon Divergent, F/M, Gen, Implied Jonerys, Jaime bends his knee, Jaime declares his love to Brienne, Jaime discovers Cersei’s lies, Jaime goes to the North with the armies of the South, Marriage, Post S7, Prophecies, S7E7, Slight Smut, Valonqar Prophecy, because I'm too shy to write smut, implied Gendrya, show’s and books’ elements, unusual wedding dress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-11-18 02:38:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18111557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/filhadoboto/pseuds/filhadoboto
Summary: While preparing to leave for the North, Jaime is stopped by Cersei and ends up discovering some truths. Free from his sister's lies, Jaime takes control of the army and goes North with all the Southern military force to fight for the living.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have already mentioned the relationship between Jaime and Brienne in other of my stories, but this is the first one where my focus is Braime, which is one of my most beloved ships along with Jonerys and Gendrya.
> 
> Hope you like it!
> 
> English is not my native language, sorry for grammar errors. In google translate I trust!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cersei tries to prevent Jaime from going North and she ends up triggering the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy.

 

A strong sense of urgency dominated Ser Jaime Lannister’s body, and the memory of the dead creature coming out of that crate ready to kill and trying to strike even after it had been broken in half still haunted his thoughts and his dreams.

 

Gathered with his banners on the great painted map of the Seven Kingdoms, Jaime assessed what would be the best place to gather all the forces under the command of the crown. They had so little time to prepare for a trip that would be a sure death meeting for many of them, but Jaime was willing to ride night and day to reach Winterfell before the army of the dead.

 

"I'd like to have a private conversation with my brother." Cersei's angry voice interrupted a discussion about the amount of provisions needed and the amount of provisions available. Jaime asked them to begin preparations for their departure and dismissed them. " _What_ do you think you're doing?"

 

He stared at her, confused. "Isn’t it _obvious_? I'm preparing our departure for the North. With every passing hour the people there are more and more vulnerable to the onslaught of the dead."

 

"That's none of our business." She said coldly.

 

"What do you mean, _it's none of our business_?" For a few seconds he thought she was joking, but seeing the coolness in her green eyes he realized she was really serious. "Cersei, we _promised_ we'd help. We _promised_ that our forces would join their forces to defeat our common enemy."

 

She rolled her eyes impatiently, "Did you _really_ think I was serious, that I would accept a truce in the war we are losing, and join that silver-haired _whore_ and her _bastard pet_?"

 

Jaime looked at her in disbelief. Her words made no sense in his mind. "You saw that creature. And there is an army of at least one hundred thousand creatures like that coming to meet us. One hundred thousand, Cersei. _One. Hundred. Thousand!_ If we don’t help the North, everyone will die and then we will be next. We need them if we want to have any chance of surviving this war."

 

"Don’t be stupid, Jaime, they have dragons, they don’t need our help." She said as she poured a glass of wine, "If they cannot win with the dragons and a horde of savages and eunuchs, I don’t see how our army would be of any help."

 

Jaime took a deep breath to calm himself. "You understand that if they _win_ they will face _us_ with everything they have and that if they _lose_ , the Night King will add the Northerners, the Unsullied and the Dothraki to his army and will come to meet us, possibly with the largest army that ever existed in Westeros." she took a long sip of wine and stared at him. "Cersei, our best chance to survive is to join Daenerys Targaryen and the North and face the real enemy together. _Together._ "

 

"I've already made up my mind, Jaime. I'm going to take a risk and see which of our enemies will come to us."

 

"Have you gone _mad_? Even Euron Greyjoy realized that we don’t have..."

 

Cersei started laughing as if she was watching a very entertaining pantomime and that silenced him. "Do you really think that someone as ambitious as Euron would _give up_ the opportunity to rule the Seven Kingdoms by my side so easily?" she laughed a little more and continued, "At that very moment he is sailing to Essos and will bring the Golden Company to fight on our side against any enemy coming from the North."

 

Jaime stared at her, bewildered. "You two have _planned_ what happened in the Dragon Pit."

 

"Of course we did." she said, still smiling and poured another glass of wine.

 

He watched her as things began to make sense in his mind. "If you _lied_ to them... if you were able to see that dead thing and ignore the threat that comes upon all of us just out of thirst for power... if you were able to plot with Euron Greyjoy behind my back... the back of the only family you have left... _What else_ did you lie about?" She just stared at him, her face a mask of cold indifference. "What else did you lie about, Cersei?" He shouted.

 

Jaime heard the Mountain approaching and looked at him, "Don’t get into it. It's between my sister and me." He then looked back at Cersei "Are you really pregnant? Or did you also come up with this to keep me stuck with you and do all the dirty work?" She looked up at him and then looked away from his enraged face.

 

She took a long gulp of wine before simply replying, "Looks like you're not _that stupid_ , Jaime."

 

For a few seconds, he just stared at her, the truth little by little making sense in his mind " _Why_? Why did you do this, Cersei? I always loved you, I always stayed by your side, even when I didn’t agree with what you were doing, I was by your side."

 

"You loved me until you found that _horrible cow_ of Tarth!" she said with fury and contempt.

 

Jaime looked at her angrily. "Her name is Brienne, _Brienne_ _of Tarth_." He corrected her automatically, "And I was always faithful to you..."

 

"You were faithful to me until _she_ appeared in your life. I should have killed her when I had the chance, because I know you wouldn’t hesitate to leave me to be with her. And no one would _ever_ turn away from me, Jaime. _No one_."

 

For a few moments Jaime just looked at her as things slowly became clear not only in his head but in his heart. When he spoke again, his voice was empty of any emotion. "I've made a promise and I intend to keep it. I'm going North to fight for the living, whether you agree with it or not."

 

He then turned his back on the one that had once been not only his sister, but his beloved, his lover, and the mother of his children. But he didn’t go very far, for the Mountain stood between him and the exit, preventing him from continuing.

 

"I already told you." she said angrily, " _No one leaves me_ , or you stay..."

 

" _Or what?_ Or what, Cersei?" he interrupted her, turning to face her. "Are you going to order this thing to kill the only family you have left?"

 

The Mountain then unsheathed his sword and held it menacingly in Jaime's direction. Cersei looked at him defiantly.

 

"I'm going North, and as our father's heir, I will take with me all the power of house Lannister. And the only thing that can stop me from doing this is _death_."

 

Cersei looked at him, her face filled with anger. "So be it." she said and then looked up at the Mountain. "Ser Gregor, kill him."

 

The Mountain let out a satisfied grunt, and as he raised his sword to have his blow cut the queen's brother in half, Jaime quickly unsheathed the Widow's Wail and pierced the other man's heart. He withdrew his sword and stared at the man for a few seconds. The Mountain then dropped his sword, fell to his knees, and Jaime beheaded him.

 

He turned to Cersei, a determined look in his green eyes and started to walk towards her. She retreated a few steps, afraid of what was in her brother's eyes.

 

"You wouldn’t have the _courage_! We both came to this world together and we will leave it together."

 

Jaime frowned and tilted his head. "If I remember correctly, you were born first, _my dear sister_." He said and took another step in the direction of the woman who was retreating desperately.

 

"I am the Queen of Westeros, I command you to stop! Now!" She shouted, but he ignored her. "I am _your_ rightful Queen and I order you to stop!"

 

He took a deep breath before saying, "I already killed a _mad King_ to protect King’s Landing. What makes you think I wouldn’t kill a _mad Queen_ to protect the Seven Kingdoms?"

 

"Please, Jaime, I love you! And you love me too! We will always _belong_ to each other."

 

"Like you said it yourself, I stopped loving you and belonging to you _a long time ago_." he snapped quietly.

 

Now there was horror and panic in her face.

 

"No, it can not be you." she said, leaning against the wall, no way out, with fear and despair in her voice "You can not be _Valonqar_! No! Not _you_!"

 

Cersei tried to fight when Jaime's hand wrapped around her throat and began to squeeze her mercilessly. He pressed his golden hand over her mouth to stifle her screams and she could feel the cold of the object spreading across her face. And as life slipped from her eyes, he said, "You're not _my_ queen. You mean _nothing_ to me."

 

Jaime took his hand from her neck and her lifeless body collapsed on the floor. He then plucked the golden hand from his wrist and threw it beside her.

 

 

\---

 

 

When Qyburn entered the council room, he found only Jaime sitting at the head of the long table, facing a glass of untouched wine between his hand and his stump.

 

"My sister is dead." He said, his voice without emotion, and Qyburn just nodded. "I want you to send a message to the Citadel and warn that the threat beyond the Wall about which we have been warned is real and that they must bring the news to all the inhabitants of Westeros. I need you to send ravens to all the houses south of the Neck and warn them that the crown summons them to join the North in the war against the army of the dead. Everyone must be ready to leave in a maximum of five days. The North needs all the help it can get."

 

"That will be done, my Lord. May I make a suggestion?" Jaime nodded. "Since the creatures can be stopped with fire, you should think of taking with you whatever you can from the stock of wildfire your sister ordered for the Guild of Alchemists."

 

"Thank you, Qyburn. Wildfire will be a valuable asset during the battle. Find the leader of the Guild of Alchemists and tell him that I need them to help us prepare the remainder of the wildfire to take it North with us and that some of them must accompany us to teach the soldiers how to handle it safely."

 

Qyburn nodded and Jaime handed him a piece of paper. "I also need you to send this message to Winterfell with your faster ravens."

 

In the message it was written:

 

_Cersei betrayed everyone and is dead. Ravens were sent to all the houses of the South calling on all to join the fight in the North. As the rightful heir of house Lannister, I am also summoning all the might of the Rock to join us in the war. I hope we will be ready to leave in five days._

_Jaime Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Protector of the West._

 

"Do you need anything else, my Lord?"

 

"That is all for now. Thank you, Qyburn."

 

The old man walked to the door, stopped and turned to Jaime. "My Lord, may I ask where your sister's body should be buried?"

 

Jaime pondered for a moment. "She would certainly want to rest with our father and her children in the Great Sept. Please bury her ashes next to them, and burn Ser Gregor too." Qyburn nodded and left.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Valonqar prophecy says: “And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.” (Maggy, to Cersei Lannister)  
> Since I read about the Valonqar, I was curious about who this person might be. I wish it is Jaime.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading it!
> 
> Did you like it? Let me know. Leave kudos. Leave a comment. 
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr and Twitter: @filhadoboto


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime rides North followed by a huge army.

 

The ride North was hard and tiring, but for every mile riding, Jaime felt more and more relieved at being true to his promise.

 

Everywhere he and his army passed, it was still possible to see the destruction caused by the so-called war of the five kings, and the eyes of sad peasants watched them for fear that they would be there to take away the little that had remained to them.

 

The news that the _Others_ had returned after more than eight thousand years was met with disbelief by some and panic by the majority. But in general, the peasants obeyed the order to collect everything they had to survive the winter and take refuge among the walls of the capital. This had been another idea of Qyburn, and Jaime had instructed the commander of the city guard to greet all who sought shelter there and install them in the city and even in the Red Keep if necessary.

 

Jaime had decided to leave Ser Bronn of Black Water responsible for the defense of the city. The former mercenary had already proved that he was able to protect the capital and its people and together with the exceptionally talented mind of Qyburn, people would be as safe as they could be with a horde of dead on the way.

 

The snow had already reached King’s Landing, and as they approached the Neck, the snow seemed to fall with greater intensity. As they passed cautiously through the ancient ruins of Moat Cailin, Jaime found himself begging the old gods and the new that he could reach Winterfell before the dead, and that the great army of Daenerys, the North, the Valley, and the one that followed him were enough to win that war and keep the rest of the kingdom in safety.

 

Snow had turned the northern landscape into a white expanse, and as Jaime saw the smoke of thousands of fires and the almost endless sea of tents stretched out before the ancestral home of the Stark family, he felt as if he could finally breathe again. He had managed to get there in time.

 

The dragons were the first to see their arrival. Huge black and green wings flew over his army for hours, until they reached the edge of the camp. Some time later, it was the sound of several horns announcing their arrival.

 

Jaime had never imagined that he would return to Winterfell or that his arrival would be met with _relief_ and _welcome_ rather than _hatred_ and _contempt_. Of course not all the Northern Lords were happy to receive one more Lannister after all the harm caused by his family to their country and families.

 

He couldn’t help remembering his last visit to that place. He'd shoved Bran Stark out of a window and the boy had survived, but he'd been crippled. Jaime was part of the King's Guard and his whole family was alive. Now there was only him and Tyrion, who was looking at him with a proud smile on the side of the legitimate Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

 

Queen Daenerys Targaryen, King in the North Jon Snow, Sor Davos, Lord Varys, Ser Jorah Mormont, and two of the surviving Stark children waited for him in the courtyard as he crossed the fortress gate. His eyes soon rested on Bran and he felt a stab of guilt in his chest. To see the boy who had been crippled because of his absolute blind devotion to Cersei made him feel nauseated, and the fact that he too was crippled seemed divine justice. He had done many horrible things because of the _insane devotion_ he had for his sister and in the last few days he had realized that she had never done anything to deserve such devotion on his part.

 

Jaime's heart quickened as he saw Brienne of Tarth striding steadily toward them, with Podrick Paine faithfully beside her. She smiled shyly at him and gave him a slight nod when she stood beside the dark-haired Stark girl, who could only be Lady Arya, and he wished he could hold Brienne and tell her everything he was feeling. Jaime dismounted, followed by his banners, bowed to the two monarchs and greeted the others.

 

"Welcome to Winterfell, Ser Jaime." said King Jon. Jaime had been really impressed by how much Ned Stark's bastard son had evolved, going from a bastard with no rights to a Night’s Watch recruit to a hero and acclaimed King in the North, and if the impassioned looks and physical closeness between him and the Targaryen Queen had no other purpose, he was sure that very soon Jon Snow would be the consort of the legitimate Queen of Westeros.

 

"Thank you, Your Grace."

 

Jon looked at Daenerys and back at him. "Actually, Ser, I bended the knee and I'm the Warden of the North now." Jaime nodded. "We have prepared your chamber, Ser Jaime, but we would like to hold a meeting before you can rest. We have many decisions to make on how we will position our forces."

 

"I am entirely at your disposal, my Lord."

 

The new Warden of the North led them into the fortress, and the warmth in the planning room was most welcome, since the riding there had almost made him forget what it felt like to be warm.

 

Jaime felt strange to be in the same place with the people who, a few weeks ago, were his enemies. For very little he hadn’t been incinerated by the huge black dragon during his foolish attempt to kill Daenerys and end the war against his sister. He was glad he didn’t succeed in his attempt, otherwise he would still be stuck with his sister and the Seven Kingdoms would be destroyed without Daenerys’ help.

 

There was a huge table in the center of the room with a map of the Northern lands on it and wooden figures representing the current position of the forces. Jaime and his banners listened as Jon Snow, Ser Davos and Tyrion spoke about their battle plan and the stock of food and weapons.

 

They explained that the only effective weapons against the army of the dead were dragonglass, fire, and valyrian steel, and that only the latter resisted the ice blades used by the White Walkers while those of ordinary steel shattered with contact. This fact made it essential for the warriors who wielded valyrian steel swords to focus on fighting and defeating the White Walkers, for by killing them, all the dead brought back by them were also destroyed. Unfortunately, there were few of these swords at their disposal, and with Jaime's arrival with Widow's Wail, they had four swords and a dagger of this material.

 

Jon informed them that all the inhabitants north of the Neck had already been evacuated. Those who were fit to fight were already in Winterfell and were being trained with swords, spears, and archery. At the suggestion of Lady Arya and Lady Lyanna Mormont, those who were either very old or very young or unable to fight had been sent to Bear Island, where they all hoped they would be safe until the fight was over.

 

Jaime told them about the measures he had taken for the protection of King’s Landing and that he had asked the maesters of the Citadel to warn all the inhabitants of the South about the arrival of the army of the dead. "Before I came to the North, I also asked the pyromancers to prepare for transport as much as possible of the wildfire stock and to send it to Winterfell." He informed "I put Qyburn in charge and I believe the first loading will arrive in the next few hours and we need to think about how to use this resource against the dead."

 

"I thought all the stock of wildfire had been destroyed when our sister blew out Baelor's Sept."

 

"She ordered more, Tyrion. _Much more_."

 

With the increase of the forces and the imminent arrival of the wildfire, it was necessary to adjust some points of the strategy of combat, which was done with ease since the majority of the present ones were veterans in battles. When everything about the battle was resolved, Lord Jon asked that they be left alone and only Jaime, Daenerys, Tyrion, Davos, Jorah, Varys, and Arya remained in the room.

 

"We are very grateful for your support, Ser Jaime." Said Lord Jon.

 

"I promised to help the North in this fight." he said and mentally added, _I couldn’t break another promise._

 

"With our new numbers, our chances of victory have increased significantly." added Sor Davos.

 

"And the wildfire will give us a great advantage as well." added Tyrion.

 

Bronn had told Jaime about how his brother had used the wildfire in the defense of King’s Landing when Stannis attacked the city and he was sure that his brother's brain should be planning many ways to use the material against the dead.

 

"That's what I expect, brother."

 

"Jaime." said Tyrion and he stared at his brother. "We are all very curious about the circumstances of our sister's death."

 

He looked at the faces of each of them. Everyone there had suffered because of Cersei, whether directly or indirectly. Everyone deserved to hear the truth.

 

"I killed her." said Jaime simply.

 

Everyone looked at him and there were different reactions on each of their faces, going from absolute surprise in Tyrion's face to the envy in little Arya's face.

 

"I cannot deny that I'm surprised after all I've seen and heard about you both." Daenerys said.

 

"Unfortunately, she gave me no other choice, Your Grace. _She betrayed us all_." said Jaime, his voice without emotion, his eyes fixed on his stump. Around him, everyone waited for him to continue and he took a deep breath before speaking again.

 

"She lied to us all, she lied about everything, she lied about accepting the truce and about joining you in the fight... she just wanted to save time while Euron Greyjoy was going to Essos to get the Golden Company. She planned to fight anyone who won the war here in the North, even if it meant the death of us all."

 

The silence in the room persisted until Tyrion asked, "Jaime, what about your baby?"

 

Jaime felt a bitter taste in his mouth. This was the worst of all the lies of his dead sister, which had hurt him most deeply. "The pregnancy was just one of her lies. There was never any baby."

 

Tyrion approached his brother and squeezed his hand in a fraternal gesture of very welcome comfort. Jaime gave him a small smile in thanks.

 

"What about Euron Greyjoy?" Asked Queen Daenerys. "You said he sailed for the Golden Company to fight for your sister."

 

"Yes and I asked Qyburn to warn him that any agreement he made with my sister ceased to exist with her death and that he has only two options or _joins_ us in this fight or _will face_ us all when we end the Night King and his army."

 

"You did very well, brother." Said Tyrion.

 

"I hope young Theon can rescue his sister before his uncle returns." Varys said, "My little birds have stopped singing about him for some time."

 

Jaime remembered the courageous woman Euron had exposed as a trophy while parading through the streets of King’s Landing and thought that the possibility of her being alive by then was very small. His niece had allied with Queen Daenerys to be able to become Queen and posed a threat to his claim to the throne of the Iron Islands, as did his nephew. If Euron put his hands on both of them, it would put an end to their lives, though he was certainly going to have fun with them before killing them. In that, Euron and Cersei matched perfectly.

 

"I bet he'll choose to hide in the Iron Islands until things settle down." said Davos.

 

"He allied himself with Cercei because he wanted to be the king of the Seven Kingdoms." He turned to Daenerys and continued, "And unless Your Grace is willing to accept him as your consort, I find it very unlikely that he will join our fight for his own will. He will not fight. Not without gaining _something_ in return. "

 

Daenerys looked at Jon Snow before answering. "No, I am not willing to have a man like Euron Greyjoy by my side on the throne. If he isn’t willing to risk his life to save his people, then he isn’t the kind of ally we want on our side. We will face the army of the dead with the numbers we have and when this war is over, we will build a much better world than the one we live in. And if the inhabitants of the Iron Islands wish to be part of the kingdom, they will have to learn to live in _our new world_."

 

As she spoke, Jaime could understand why so many people choose to follow her. Daenerys Targaryen had a fire in her eyes that reminded him of her brother Rhaegar and _not_ of the mad king.

 

To the surprise of everyone in the room, Jaime knelt before her, took the sword out of the hem and placed it at her feet. "I am the rightful heir of my house and I, Jaime Lannnister, swear my loyalty to Daenerys Targaryen, the true heir of the Iron Throne, legitimate Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. My sword is yours, my Queen, just like Casterly Rock."

 

The Queen smiled in surprise, reached out and gently touched his shoulder, but before any word could come out of her mouth, the door of the room abruptly opened.

 

A fat boy pushed the chair with young Bran into the room. He looked at everyone present and when his eyes met his brother's, he said in a calmer voice than Jaime would expect. "The Wall has fallen. _The dead are coming_."

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime decides to look for a certain wench with astonishing blue eyes.

 

The news that the Wall had fallen left everyone on full alert, but when Bran Stark fixed his sad eyes on the Queen and told her that the Night King had done so with the help of her resurrected dragon, a mixture of rage, fear and regret spread throughout the room.

 

Jaime was quick to realize what had happened when he saw the gaze between Daenerys and Jon. There was regret and a silent apology in his gaze and suffering and resignation in hers. So that was why there were only two dragons during the meeting at King’s Landing, the third dragon had perished beyond the Wall, and Jon Snow was somehow feeling guilty about it.

 

_If I had finished with everything before... when Cersei destroyed Baelor's Sept and proclaimed herself as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms... perhaps this tragedy would also have been avoided._ Thought Jaime.

 

Queen Daenerys managed to hold back the tears as Bran finished telling them everything he had seen. After everything was heard, discussed and actions planned, Lord Jon asked to be left alone with the Queen. Little Arya hugged Daenerys, whispered something in her ear and the woman nodded, then she hugged her brother and he laid a kiss on her forehead. Before following the others out, Jaime watched as Jon pulled her affectionately against his body, wrapped her in his arms and she began to cry.

 

Once out of the room, Tyrion told him about the strange and precious gift Bran had and also what had happened beyond the Wall. The third dragon had been killed by the Night King when Daenerys had attempted to rescue Jon and his companions in the hunt for the creature they had taken to King’s Landing as evidence of their enemy's existence. His brother had suggested the hunt and had regretted having opened his mouth. The hunt had cost them a dragon, and in the end, Cersei lied about the truce and about joining the fight.

 

Tyrion asked one of the servants to take his brother to his chamber, and once there, Jaime asked to be taken to Lady Brienne. She hadn’t been in the war council and he hadn’t seen her after they entered the fortress. The servant led him to her chamber and he dismissed her.

 

He felt strange, standing there in front of her door. No. Not _stranger_. He felt nervous, _very nervous_. He knew she was right there, on the other side of that door, the closest he had been to her since the meeting at the Dragon Pit. She was within reach of him and all he needed was to take a deep breath, knock on the door and tell her everything. She needed to hear what he had discovered.

 

His heart quickened as she opened the door and stared at him with her astonishing blue eyes.

 

"Ser Jaime?" she looked surprised to see him there, knocking on her door.

 

"Lady Brienne." They stared at each other for a moment until Jaime remembered how to speak, "Can I come in? I have some things to tell you."

 

Brienne nodded, let him in, then closed the door. She turned to him and pointed to the only chair in the room as she sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him to start talking.

 

He smiled. "You have kept your promise. You found the Stark girls and you're protecting them."

 

"Yes, I am." She smiled. "Although Lady Arya is more than capable of defending herself and everyone around her." Jaime frowned, confused. "She's an exceptional swordswoman. We trained together a few times and I still haven’t been able to defeat her." She looked very proud of the girl.

 

There was more silence, and this time she broke it. "I'm glad you're here too, Ser Jaime."

 

"I promised to join this fight and I couldn’t break another promise. And as you said, my Lady, this fight is greater than houses and honor and oaths." She nodded and he continued, "You weren’t in the war council."

 

"Lord Jon asked me to help train the peasants and I was in the training yard with the master-at-arms doing this. Unfortunately, most of them will not see the end of this war."

 

He nodded. "We just learned that the Night King was able to destroy a part of the Wall and is marching south with his army and that he resurrected the dragon that perished beyond the Wall."

 

She stared at him gaping before saying, "So that's it. The great war began."

 

He nodded and the two of them were silent once more. Jaime looked at her and saw that her eyes were fixed on his exposed stump.

 

"I killed my sister."

 

She looked him in the eye. "I suspected that."

 

"It was..."

 

"Necessary." she interrupted him. "I know."

 

Of course she did.

 

Of course she understood.

 

Brienne of Tarth was the only person who knew the real reason he had broken his vows and became a kingslayer. She knew him and knew that he would never allow the lives of everyone in the kingdom to be threatened or lost because of an oath or, in the case of his sister, because of kinship.

 

Jaime stood up and paced in front of her. "She lied to everyone, wench. She lied to _me_. I was the last family she had left, the last person left beside her and she lied to me." He snapped, feeling as if a dam inside him had ruptured and he was going to drown himself if he didn’t put it all out "She lied about being pregnant, lied about agreeing to the truce with Queen Daenerys, lied about sending our army North. And when she said she should have killed _you_ , I saw that I was with the _wrong_ woman. It was as if the dense haze that limited my vision throughout my life suddenly dissipated and I finally got to see Cersei as she _really_ was. For years I thought I would never love or desire another woman besides her, but at that moment I realized that my heart hadn’t belonged to her in a long time."

 

Brienne looked at him in confusion as he continued to walk and say, "I saw that I was still beside her out of sheer _habit_ , a bad habit, actually. I couldn’t stay another day beside her, for the moment she told me that I had been faithful and loyal to her until the moment you appeared in my life, I understood that she was right. She had immediately seen what took me a long time to see." He stopped walking and looked at her. "And now I know who my loyalty and my heart really _belong_ to." Jaime took a step toward her and she stood up nervously. "I rode North as fast as possible because I wanted to be in time to help, but also because I wanted to tell you what I discovered ." one more step. "Wench." he said softly, remembering how much she hated when he called her that, and smiled "Brienne of Tarth, _you're the woman I love_."

 

Brienne stared at him for a moment, seeming not to understand the meaning of the words he had said. Jaime then took her hand, laid a soft kiss, and left.

 

As he walked down the corridors, Jaime felt his heart both relieved and broken. Relieved that he had told Brienne that he loved her, but broken to know that she would never see him that way, that her heart would always belong to the ghost of Renly Baratheon.

 

When he returned to his chamber, he found Lord Jon waiting for him. The boy seemed preoccupied with something, and after what he had heard and seen, Jaime imagined that he wouldn’t leave Daenerys's side for any reason.

 

"Did something happen?" he asked. "Is the Queen all right?"

 

Jon gave him a tired smile. "Don’t worry, Ser Jaime, she's in her chambers resting, and before I let you rest too, I need to ask you a question."

 

"I am at your disposal, Lord Jon."

 

"Lady Brienne told me that the valyrian steel sword she carries was given to her by you and that the steel used on the swords that she and you carry has come from my father's sword. Is that true?"

 

Jaime nodded, feeling ashamed, "Yes, that's true. "Jaime took his sword and handed it to Jon. "Unfortunately, my father thought he had the right to take the legacy of house Stark as a war spoils to make a reality his dream of having, once again, a valyrian steel sword in our family." The boy studied the work done on the sword hilt and then returned it to Jaime who looked at him doubtfully.

 

"When I was on the Night’s Watch, I saved the life of Lord Commander Mormont and he gave me the valyrian steel sword that belonged to his family as a way of thanking." He said putting his hand on the knob in the shape of a head of a white wolf of his sword "This sword saved my life many times when I fought against the creatures beyond the Wall and it is with it that I have defended the kingdom ever since. I hope you can do the same with the legacy of my family."

 

Jaime nodded, touched by Jon's words, who then said goodbye and left.

 

The boy Jaime had known during his first visit to Winterfell had become a far better king than all the kings Jaime had known. The way he defended his people and was willing to do anything to save them was inspiring. And it appeared that Daenerys Targaryen had seen the same and Jaime felt that with Jon Snow at her side on the throne, Westeros would certainly live years of peace, justice and prosperity. But first, they had to survive what was coming.

 

Minutes later, when someone knocked on his door, Jaime had expected anyone but her. Brienne was waiting in the hallway, and he nervously invited her in.

 

The two of them looked at each other and the silence hung between them. Jaime tried _desperately_ to think of something to tell her, but his brain seemed to have frozen. Then she moved and with three steps of her long legs ended the distance between their bodies. Jaime looked at her astonishing sapphire eyes and felt he could drown in that blue immensity.

 

He didn’t notice Brienne's intent until her lips touched his lightly. And before he thought about what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer to his body. Her strong arms curled around his neck and her lips were warm, soft and hungry over his. Both were nearly out of breath when they parted and, with reddish cheeks, she said "I love you too, Jaime."

 

"Wench." He whispered, marveling at her words, and kissed her again.

 

"I wish I had said that before, but you ran out of my chamber and I didn’t get the chance."

 

He smiled. "I thought you still loved Renly and would never match my feelings."

 

"Yes, I loved Renly once. But it stayed in the past the moment I fell in love with a certain Lannister and couldn’t get him out of my head or my heart, even though I believed he would never stop loving his sister."

 

_She loved him_! She loved him and he had been a fool to think she didn’t feel the same.

 

"You love me." he said in wonder.

 

She nodded, "Yes, I love you."

 

Those words were the ones he needed to hear so he could get rid of his past once and for all and move on. "You make me feel the happiest man in the world and I don’t want to spend another day of my life without you." he knelt before her "Brienne of Tarth, do you accept me as your husband?"

 

Brienne's jaw dropped at his request, so she smiled, knelt, and looked him in the eye. "Yes, yes, I do."

 

"Do you?"

 

"I do."

 

Jaime pulled her into a kiss full of love. "I don’t want to wait for the end of the war for you to be my wife." He looked into her eyes, his hand caressing her flushed face.

 

"Are you _sure_?"

 

"Wench, you love me and I love you, I've never been so sure of anything in my life. The dead are on the way and we can end up dead. If I have to die in this war, I want to die as your husband, with the memory of your kiss on my lips."

 

She nodded and said, "We will not find a septon here in the North."

 

He thought for a few seconds, "Winterfell has its own sacred grove, doesn’t it?"

 

"It has."

 

"If you agree, I don’t see why we cannot marry before the ancient gods."

 

She nodded and kissed him. Jaime Lannister had no idea he could be _so_ happy.

 

 

**\---**

 

 

The next morning, they came together, hand in hand, to the great hall where everyone was breaking their fast. Beside him, her hand held firmly in his, Brienne trembled slightly, though he had no idea whether it was out of happiness or nervousness, or perhaps it was a mixture of the two.

 

As they walked through the great hall and people saw their hands held, their faces expressed from irritation to disbelief and from amazement to curiosity.

 

_Yes, yes_ , he thought, _the Kingslayer is hand in hand with Brienne of Tarth and couldn’t be happier. An army of the dead is on the way! Why don’t you take care of your life?_

 

It was with a lot of willpower that the two of them split up last night. They talked for hours, and when Brienne had begun to yawn, he forced himself to let her out of his embrace and let her go to her own bed. Jaime didn’t want to spend another second away from her, especially with the dead about to arrive to Winterfell, however, he would never think about tarnishing his bride's honor, much less when they were only a few hours away from their marriage.

 

When they arrived at the table where were Lord Jon, Queen Daenerys, Tyrion, Ser Davos, Lord Varys, Ser Jorah, Lady Arya and Lord Bran Stark, the most different expressions received the couple. Tyrion looked surprised at where their hands were held together, but he smiled when their eyes met.

 

The two greeted everyone and Jaime said, "I asked Lady Brienne to marry me."

 

"And I accepted." she said, her face red and a shy smile on her face. "We would like to get married before the army of the dead comes to us."

 

"Today, preferably." "said Jaime, with a slight urgency in his voice. "We've both wasted enough time." He looked at Brienne and winked.

 

He didn’t expect Daenerys Targaryen to be the first to speak, "This is unexpected news, but wonderful. Ser Jaime, Lady Brienne, I wish you happiness."

 

"And of course we'll be honored to prepare everything for your wedding." Jon grinned at Brienne. Last night, his bride had talked about how he had always treated her with respect and had never made her feel like a freak in armor as most people did and that he had been the greatest enabler for Arya to learn to wield a sword.

 

"We don’t have a septon here in Winterfell, just the godswood." Arya warned.

 

"We know, my Lady, and we wish to unite before the old gods." Brienne clarified.

 

If their desire seemed strange, none of them said anything.

 

A light mood of euphoria seemed to take over. And Jaime thought that maybe that was just what everyone needed: a reason to smile and celebrate and relieve some of the tension that weighed on everyone in the fortress.

 

Tyrion was the first to get up and gave him a tender hug. "I never thought I would live to see you getting married, brother." He whispered to his older brother.

 

"It seems like strange things happen in the winter." Jaime whispered back.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth unite before the old gods.

 

In the evening of that day Jaime waited for his bride in the godswood beside his brother. There were few people there, but there was a sincere smile on each face, if not for him, but for his future wife.

 

A huge albino wolf, who could only be one of the direwolf cubs he had seen during his other visit to Winterfell, was sitting quietly beside Queen Daenerys, as if it were her protector, and she stroked it behind its ear absently while she talked with Lady Arya. Beside them was Samwell Tarly along with his family, the banners of house Lannister and some northern lords. The dragons flew over the woods and sometimes flew so close to the trees that they made a rain of leaves and snow fall on the ground.

 

As a member of the Kingsguard, Jaime had never imagined that he would one day stand before the gods to ask them to bless his union with the woman he loved. But fate wanted his own son to expel him from the Kingsguard, freeing him from his vows, and also wanted him to find and fall in love with Brienne, a brave, stubborn, loyal woman who had shown him that it wasn’t too late to do the right thing and get his honor back.

 

The decision to unite before a heart tree might seem strange in the eyes of the people of the North, since the two had been born and raised in the Faith of the Seven. But since their history had begun because of the North - he had been captured by Robb Stark and she had sworn her sword to Lady Catelyn, and the two carried valyrian steel swords made from the Stark family sword - to unite upon the blessing of the northern gods was the perfect way to begin the new chapter of their history.

 

When the day gave way to night, Brienne of Tarth walked arm in arm with Lord Jon, toward the heart tree, and the smile on her face was the sweetest and most beautiful he had ever seen. Brienne wore the blue armor he had given her as a gift when she had taken him back to King’s Landing. Each of its parts had been polished and was as bright as her eyes and over her shoulders she wore a blue satin-lined cape with small gold embroidered suns and ermine on her collar. Jaime wore his crimson armor with golden lions and a red cloak that matched the red of the heart tree leaves beside him.

 

Brienne and Jon stopped a few paces away. Then Jon and Tyrion stepped forward and began the ceremony.

 

"Who comes before the gods tonight?" Asked Tyrion, to which Jon replied "Brienne from the house Tarth. A noble-born woman comes to marry and ask for the blessing of the gods. Who receives her?"

 

Jaime walked up to them, a smile illuminating his face. "I, Jaime of house Lannister. Who gives her hand?"

 

"Jon Snow, of house Stark, Warden of the North." He turned to Brienne and asked with a smile, "Lady Brienne, do you accept this man as your husband?"

 

Brienne walked to stand a step away from her betrothed. "I accept this man." she replied and then it was done. They were married. Now she was Brienne Lannister, his lawful wife, and he was the happiest man in Westeros.

 

At that moment it seemed to Jaime that there was no one else in the godswood beyond the two. He held out his hand to her and Brienne held it fondly. Her husband laid a light kiss on the back of her hand and drew her to him. Her face flushed, Brienne put her arms around his neck, and Jaime held her tightly in his arms. As their lips touched, the people around them clapped.

 

 

\---

 

 

The wedding banquet passed like a blur to Jaime.

 

In the great hall, a lively music cheered everyone up and set the pace for some couples dancing. The only thing that seemed real was his wife, sitting next to him, her cheeks rosy with wine and the fact that he didn’t let go of her hand for a second.

 

He felt a chill in his belly as his wife whispered in his ear, "Do you think we can withdraw without seeming rude to the guests?" He looked at her, frowning and she clarified with another whisper "As you said this morning, _my husband_ , we've both waited too long."

 

Jaime looked around. Lord Jon and Queen Daenerys were clearly waiting for an opportunity to be alone too, and Jaime could see Jon's hand caressing her back while they talked in whispers. Lady Arya was at the far end of the great hall drinking and talking to a boy who reminded him of Robert and Lord Bran had asked to be taken to the godswood for over an hour. His brother was talking to Ser Davos and Lord Varys and they didn’t seem very interested in the newly married couple.

 

He looked back at her, gave her his crooked smile and replied, "I think they will forgive us if we retire sooner, _my wife_." He laid a long kiss on her lips and stood up, pulling her with him.

 

To their relief, people were much more interested in drinking and dancing and having fun, which for some would be the last time, than paying attention to the couple sneaking out of the great hall. They walked quietly through the almost empty corridors of the fortress, smiling silly, to their wedding chamber.

 

Jaime's chamber had been prepared to receive them. Someone had had the delicacy of not only scattering petals of winter roses on their wedding-bed, but still putting several of them in a vase at the side of the bed, filling the air with its perfume.

 

For a few seconds, surrounded by the dim light in the room, they both seemed not to know how to act, but to Jaime's delight his wife knew very well what she wanted. Her lips settled over his and Jaime felt his body burn.

 

Piece by piece, they were taking off the armor from each other and then the clothes that were underneath. They had both seen the naked body of each other, but at the time both were weakened by the long journey and the hunger. Now, it was as if they were really seeing each other for the first time. Brienne still had the more masculine body than she would have liked, but for her husband, she was perfect just the way she was. Sometimes, out of pure reflection, Jaime was still trying to use his missing hand, and that made him feel like a cripple, but when his wife touched him and looked at him with so much love and respect, he felt whole again.

 

Jaime kissed her and caressed her as if she were the first woman in his life. And, in a way, that was true. He had left the man he was and his past behind. His new life had begun when he had decided he would fulfill his promise to help the North in the war, and his present and future were secure in his arms, with red cheeks and beautiful sapphire eyes shining with tears beginning to fall.

 

"Are you scared, my love?" He asked as tears rolled down her face and she nodded. "We don’t have to do this if you're not ready, wench. We can wait as long as it takes." He wiped her tears with his lips and she smiled, grateful for his concern and affection.

 

"Is not it. I _really want_ to be yours. And I don’t want to wait another minute for that." He stared at her quizzically. "Jaime, I spent a lot of my life with people saying that I would never find a man who would desire me or love me as I am." She took a deep breath and continued, "I never expected to be so happy and I'm afraid none of this is real. And that at any moment I'm going to wake up and you will not be by my side."

 

His heart ached as he heard her words. "You and me, here in each other's arms, this is all real, Brienne. And _I love you_ _exactly the way you are_." He laid several kisses on his wife's face and on her lips "I'll never leave you. You and I belong to each other now. Not even death will be able to separate me from you, for I will be waiting for you in the other life so that we can spend eternity together."

 

She caressed his face and pulled him into an urgent kiss and pressed her body against his, making it clear how much she wanted him, how much she loved him. Jaime did everything to make that moment as pleasant as possible for her, even though he knew there was no way she wouldn’t feel pain when he penetrated her. He had explored her body, caused sensations she had never imagined she would feel, and left her as ready as possible for what was to come. The scratches left on his back by her fingernails would make him remember that moment for several days, the sweet moment when he had been completely inside her and she squealed as her body adjusted to his size. When orgasm flooded her body, Jaime watched her intently, more concerned with her pleasure than with his own. Her walls massaged his cock, and as her eyes settled on his, his own orgasm hit him and his seed spread in the womb of his beloved wife. The two of them gasped as Jaime pulled himself away from her. He lay down next to her, pulled her against his body and she covered their bodies with one of the fur blankets on the bed.

 

"I'm sorry it took so long to realize that you were the love of my life."

 

Brienne smiled, wrapped in her husband's arms, her head resting on his bare chest. "I also took time to realize that what I felt for you was something more than respect and admiration."

 

"We've always been so stubborn." he laughed. "It was necessary for the Others to come back so we could stay together."

 

By now the whole kingdom should have known that there would soon be a second Long Night, and that Daenerys Targaryen, the King in the North, and Jaime Lannister had joined forces to confront the army of the dead.

 

"I need to tell my father that I married a Lannister before the news reaches Tarth." She said "In the last letter I sent to him, I said that I was in Winterfell at the service of the Stark sisters."

 

"Do you think he's going to be against our union? After all you didn’t marry only the heir of house Lannister, but also with the same man who killed the two monarchs he swore to protect."

 

Brienne thought for a moment, "Not if he knows I married because I love you and you love me too. My father always wanted my happiness and may not even agree with my choice, but he will support me as he always did."

 

Jaime smiled. "My father never cared for the happiness of his own children and always tried to impose his own will on our lives. All that mattered to him was the legacy of house Lannister. If my father was still alive to know about our marriage, he would ask if you are already pregnant, when he could hold his grandchild in his arms and then he would start looking for someone suitable for the grandchild of Tywin Lannister."

 

He thought his father would certainly approve Brienne as his wife. If they had ever had a chance to talk, he was sure that his father would have admired her for her strength and stubbornness and would have hoped for his grandchildren to inherit her temper. Jaime had the strongest hope that the two would survive the war and have the chance to live their love and see it bearing fruit. He had faith that one day he could show his children his favorite places at Casterly Rock and take them to meet the famous blue waters of Tarth.

 

"Jaime." She said in a soft voice, drawing him out of his reverie.

 

"Yes, my love."

 

"I need you to promise me something."

 

Jaime laid a soft kiss on her hair. "Anything."

 

"Promise me you will not die." she said, her voice almost a whisper. "Promise me you will not leave me alone in this world."

 

He felt his heart aching at the fear in her voice and held her tight. "I promise."

 

 

**The End**

 


End file.
